Computer Conservation Society – ‘The Battle of Britain’s Home Computers’ by Gareth Halfacree, Manchester, 15 March 2016, 5.30pm

The late 70s and early 80s were a revolutionary time for computing, with new production techniques and the introduction of very-large-scale integration (VLSI) lowering the cost of hardware to the point where the personal computer was finally possible. The UK was at the forefront of this technology, with names both familiar and otherwise – Sinclair, Acorn, Tangerine, Apricot, Dragon and Amstrad to name but a few – working hard to exploit this new market and fend off foreign invaders from the US and Japan.